College doesn’t have to be the best four years of your life

It was the summer of 2017. I had just arrived in Gainesville for the first time as a student two weeks earlier. As I laid in the twin bed in my dorm room, I struggled to fall asleep. There was a throbbing pain in my jaw, and I could feel it spreading. I tossed and turned. I rubbed my temples hard, and when I turned to look at the clock, it was 3 a.m.

The next morning, I frantically googled dentists nearby, and as soon as I could, I trekked over to UF Health Shands Dental Clinic. The dentist told me that my wisdom tooth was infected, and it would need to be removed immediately. I was still shaking in the large plush chair when the dentist closed in on my mouth with a long needle filled with anaesthesia. My parents were miles away, and I felt scared and alone.

This rough day was the first time I had realized that the reality of college was not the same as most high school seniors envision it to be. There is freedom to do what you want to some extent. Nobody will tell you to come home at a certain time or to wake you up for class in the morning. If you want your room to be messy, that’s your choice. You can forgo a night at the library for a night on the town at your own risk. This self-determination is what leads many to believe in the phrase “college is the best four years of your life.” But, you quickly learn that choices have consequences, and responsibility is key in college.

It’s the little things in life that are more difficult in college than they were at home. Errands feel more complicated and tedious. I once spent an entire day figuring out how to mail a letter. I didn’t know where to buy envelopes or stamps or even where to send the letter from. When I bought deli meat at Publix for the first time, the employee behind the counter made fun of me for not realizing that I had to pick from 12 different kinds of turkey. I walked a mile in the sweltering heat to cash a check at the closest working ATM.

Those things get easier with time and are all parts of living independently, but other bigger problems need to be navigated in college as well. When we leave home, we are stripped of a comfortable support system made up of our families, familiar hometowns and childhood friends. Making new friends takes time and energy, especially when you’re out of practice. Finding the right friends to support you and to have fun with can be a lengthy trial-and-error process.

There is so much pressure to have the best time during your college experience, but by glorifying the partying, the good times and the freedom, we forget the obstacles we are bound to experience throughout life.

College is a transition period. It’s a time to grow and to change for the better. We learn so much in college and think so much about the future. We get to discover our passions and to decide what track we will continue on in our lives. School is hard, but I know it’s going to help me in the future.

Going to college won’t solve all of your problems. Every day isn’t always fun, but every day isn’t always boring either. The college experience is holistic, and there is no need to single out this part of your life as the greatest it will ever be. It can be great without comparison to the others experiences the rest of your life will bring. For some people, college is the best time of their lives, but for many, the best is yet to come.

Molly Chepenik is a UF journalism sophomore. Her column appears on Wednesdays.